an assembly, esp. the popular assembly of ancient Athens.
2.
a congregation; church.
Origin: 1570–80; < L < Gk ekklēsía assembly, equiv. to ékklēt(os) summoned (ek-ec-+ klē-, var. of kal-, s. of kaleîn to call, + -tos ptp. suffix) + -ia-ia
ec·cle·si·a (ĭ-klē'zhē-ə, -zē-ə) n.
pl.ec·cle·si·ae (-zhē-ē', -zē-ē')
The political assembly of citizens of an ancient Greek state.
A church or congregation.
[Latin ecclēsia, from Greek ekklēsiā, from ekkalein, to summon forth : ek-, out; see ecto- + kalein, klē-, to call; see kelə-2 in Indo-European roots.]